tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post1232503349904733700..comments2024-03-28T06:16:39.508+00:00Comments on Help! I Need a Publisher!: WORD-POWER: MISALIGNED SUBJECTSNicola Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-43063318224580352532011-05-27T21:27:40.093+01:002011-05-27T21:27:40.093+01:00lol, I actually laughed out loud reading those heh...lol, I actually laughed out loud reading those hehe :DJesse Owen (Reading to Life)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08057299676515885811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-13754595077233835482011-05-26T22:53:50.994+01:002011-05-26T22:53:50.994+01:00This reminds me of that joke from the "Mary P...This reminds me of that joke from the "Mary Poppins" movie: "I knew a man with a wooden leg named Smith." I thought that was a hoot when I was 8.Julie Nilsonhttp://julienilson.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-80264756164182567292011-05-26T21:32:03.405+01:002011-05-26T21:32:03.405+01:00Scooter - comma splices, gah! Mind you, Iris Murdo...Scooter - comma splices, gah! Mind you, Iris Murdoch used them. Mind you, that put me off her books.Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-43786973561196781982011-05-26T21:31:14.625+01:002011-05-26T21:31:14.625+01:00Oliver - "adverbs don't go between subjec...Oliver - "adverbs don't go between subjects and their verbs" - tosh! That is not about meaning but spurious and frankly (!) ignorant interpretation of the power of language. Rules are to empower, not restrict. Of course adverbs can go between subjects and their verbs. Adverbs very often need to. Otherwise, you'll get the horrible "hopefully" problem. Besides and more Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-15991635397348277382011-05-26T16:38:05.917+01:002011-05-26T16:38:05.917+01:00Insane and surrounded by bad advisors, I pity Erik...Insane and surrounded by bad advisors, I pity Erik XIV.<br /><br />This was frequently used to teach little Swedes to get it right. It was the old king who was mad. Not us.<br />Though it loses something in translation.bookwitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05237519763315026629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-30506960269063861632011-05-25T22:26:03.471+01:002011-05-25T22:26:03.471+01:00Like it! BTW, adverbs don't go between subject...Like it! BTW, adverbs don't go between subjects and their verbs ("I frankly get..." > "Frankly, I get...") - see Strunk & White.Oliver Lawrencehttp://www.proz.com/translator/861452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-77207735653419235892011-05-25T17:14:54.610+01:002011-05-25T17:14:54.610+01:00On the subject of hyphens, there is an enlightenin...On the subject of hyphens, there is an enlightening link at Ranting of a sub-editor. Here is a link to the post: http://rantingsubs.com/2011/05/11/style-guide-hyphens/DOThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00719312854612984929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-49568081400860288542011-05-25T12:53:54.544+01:002011-05-25T12:53:54.544+01:00So true! I like to think I have gone beyond some o...So true! I like to think I have gone beyond some of these errors but a recent editing bout drove me nuts! I have a massive glossary of words with hyphens/joined/separated and still suffer doubts. Useful post, thank you, catchillcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10360989103518880339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-68895277239138647282011-05-25T08:34:24.789+01:002011-05-25T08:34:24.789+01:00back in the days when I used to tutor people for O...back in the days when I used to tutor people for Oxford entrance, the General Paper for the entrance exam always had a subsection that was essentially about this issue. Someone would have immense fun writing down ambiguously formed sentences and candidiates had to write as many unambiguous sentences as they could find that could be construed from the one provided.Dan Hollowayhttp://danholloway.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-78966489904194405732011-05-25T06:46:36.761+01:002011-05-25T06:46:36.761+01:00I reckon it's from people thinking too fast fo...I reckon it's from people thinking too fast for their brains to send the signals to the fingers ... also, lazy editing.widdershinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04205462833259334647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-64698942899355648352011-05-24T23:53:25.518+01:002011-05-24T23:53:25.518+01:00Yes ma-am. I suspect I am guilty of misaligned cat...Yes ma-am. I suspect I am guilty of misaligned cat hairs. I try not to do it but - it happens.catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-12462290224060267122011-05-24T21:12:13.901+01:002011-05-24T21:12:13.901+01:00I tend toward misaligned subjects in my work email...I tend toward misaligned subjects in my work emails, but I usually catch them in my stories. Comma splices, however...yikes. I'm the comma queen.Scooter Carlylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06193754150220063430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-59581731562933128682011-05-24T17:51:07.014+01:002011-05-24T17:51:07.014+01:00Good post on something I, too, see an awful lot of...Good post on something I, too, see an awful lot of. It's a combination of the quest for (not so) elegant variation, and the journalistic habit for front-loading sentences.<br /><br />I've never known what to call them, when they're not participles but it's basically the same mistake - so Misaligned Subjects it is (even if it does make me think of the Queen surveying a particularlyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-68854230030663187282011-05-24T16:48:22.283+01:002011-05-24T16:48:22.283+01:00Hi, Nicola
Great post. It's so important to m...Hi, Nicola<br /><br />Great post. It's so important to make sure that we use the right punctuation in the right place isn't it. Otherwise we run the risk of confusing our readers, as your examples demonstrate perfectly.<br /><br />JulieJulie Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06546678603569056691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-7528058196005211372011-05-24T16:19:42.032+01:002011-05-24T16:19:42.032+01:00Hehe. These make me giggle.Hehe. These make me giggle.Sarah Billingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08489242290456402938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-66648463125303884952011-05-24T16:07:05.047+01:002011-05-24T16:07:05.047+01:00Hi Nicola
I find this extremely annoying, as well...Hi Nicola<br /><br />I find this extremely annoying, as well.<br /><br />My local radio news introduces itself with "wet and windy (or whatever the day's weather) at twelve, I'm...."<br /><br />It used to make me laugh, but I also find it amazing that a journalist would be so sloppy with their English.<br /><br />I'm sure everyone will have their own version of this.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04109444229860301902noreply@blogger.com